In a high-scoring competition like the IPL, bowlers will receive some stick, according to Punjab Kings pacer Lockie Ferguson, but in order to succeed in the demanding game, they must figure out how to stay aggressive and limit the flow of runs.
In the 2026 Indian Premier League, batters’ dominance was so complete that even targets over 230 or even 250 frequently seemed unsafe.
“IPL is just sort of a new competition on its own in the style of cricket that’s played here. It’s obviously high-scoring. So, you’re going to get hit for boundaries. That’s part of being a bowler,” PTI quoted Ferguson telling media ahead of Punjab’s match against Gujarat Titans.
“It’s how do you bounce back the next ball and try to execute again. So, as long as the bowlers are being aggressive, trying to find ways to get batters out whilst also restricting runs, then they’re going to be in a good mindset,” he added.
Depending on variations or raw pace, how does a bowler do that?
“I mean, extra pace comes with its benefits. Sometimes the faster you bowl, the faster it goes to the rope. But it’s an X-factor. You know, if you can get extra pace, then obviously the batter has less time to react.
“And then, you know, every modern-day cricketer has variables. They change the pace of the ball. They have different change-ups. So, it’s about adapting as much as possible and trying to learn what’s working on that particular day,” he said.
After spending time with his wife Emma to welcome their first child, Beau, Ferguson arrived late to join the PBKS team and the Kiwi pacer expressed gratitude to the team for letting him spend time with his family.
“I chose to have some time at home with my family, my newborn. And, you know, I can’t thank Punjab Kings enough for allowing me to do that. It’s obviously a hard decision from a cricket point of view to take time out to spend it at home,” he said.
However, the 34-year-old acknowledged that it was difficult to enter the IPL in the middle of the season.
“Obviously, it’s not that easy coming from training at home straight into the IPL. It’s a tough competition at the best of times. But, yeah, this is the challenge we face.”
The Rajasthan Royals chased down a 223-run target for a six-wicket victory at Mullanpur, resulting in the PBKS’s first IPL 2026 loss. Ferguson, however, did not take the outcome too seriously.
“Execution is the key, right? So, we’re trying to execute. Some days, not so good. But at the same time, the skill sets that are involved with this bowling attack led by Arshdeep and Chahal, I thought the spinners were fantastic last game.
“So, trying to make little adjustments, trying to tighten up in areas. We know how within the IPL, how small margins can look a lot bigger on TV. But, you know, we’re just trying to tighten up on areas, try to double down on our planning,” he added.
Heated discussions on social media have been sparked by Delhi Capitals pacer Kyle Jamieson’s impassioned celebration following his dismissal of RR’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Friday. Ferguson, however, backed his New Zealand fast bowling teammate.
“Kyle’s a good mate of mine. He got pretty fired up, which is pretty understandable. It’s not easy to get wickets in this part of the world and that was a big one. So it’s part of the game.
“Fans like to see the passion. As a fan of the game, you like to see players getting passionate, players showing emotion. He’s obviously a big guy too. So when a big guy has a lot of emotions, it looks even bigger,” he said.
